The invention relates to a basket forceps assembly, and more particularly, to a basket forceps assembly formed by a plurality of resilient wires. Said assembly is capable of receiving and holding foreign matter, such as biliary calculus, situated within a coelom and is capable of removing the foreign matter from the coelom.
The removal of foreign matter, such as biliary calculus, from the coelom can be accomplished by using an endoscope. Removal generally takes place by grasping the calculus located within the bile ducts by means of a basket and by carrying it through a teat to the duodenum. Where the size of the biliary calculus is greater than a restricted area within the teat and such size renders the extraction difficult, the biliary calculus is temporarily left at the restricted area, and a separate picking means is used to remove it from the coelom.
A basket forceps assembly is used as a recovery means extract foreign matter, such as biliary calculus, from the coelom. As is well recognized, such basket forceps assembly comprises a flexible tube which is received within and passes through a forceps receiving channel formed in an endoscope, and a basket which is capable of grasping a foreign matter, the basket being defined by a plurality of resilient wires which are disposed in a distal end of the flexible tube so as to be movable out of and into the latter. An operating wire extends through the flexible tube, and when operated, causes the basket to project forward of the distal end of the flexible tube. The wires are biased for displacement upon projection out of the distal end, thereby forming a basket.
The resilient wires which are used to define the basket generally comprise strands, each of which comprises a plurality of resilient filaments which are twisted together. Since each of the plurality of resilient wires includes the same number of filaments which are of an equal diameter and of a same material, these wires all exhibit a similar tensile strength.
Accordingly, when the basket is used to grasp a foreign matter, such as biliary calculus, and when the operating wire is towed to a greater degree imposing an increased stress upon each of the resilient wires, they may be broken all at the same time. It will be seen that when broken, the resilient wires are left within the coelom, and must be removed by conducting a surgical operation, thus causing undesirable pains to a patient.